Ecoterraces Basecamp Archive Analysis

Generated: January 2026 Archive Period: 2007-2011 Total Archive Size: 834 MB+

Executive Summary

This documentation captures key knowledge extracted from the Ecoterraces Basecamp project archive - a sustainable housing refurbishment initiative in Newcastle-under-Lyme, UK. The project spanned three phases, transforming Victorian terraced properties and developing new sustainable housing through comprehensive energy efficiency improvements.

Phase 1 (2007-2008): Refurbishment of 63 Booth Street and 91 London Road achieving EcoHomes Excellent with Sunwarm passive solar ventilation.

Phase 2 (2009): Extension to 4 & 6 Victoria Street and 107-109 London Road with varied ventilation strategies.

Phase 3 (2010): Woodlands House (46 London Road) - retrofit of an Edwardian semi-detached property, creating two units with improved fabric specifications, PV systems, and MVHR ventilation (no passive solar).

Archive Contents

Properties Covered

Pages

• Timeline — Chronological project milestones from feasibility through post-occupancy monitoring
• Technical Specifications — Energy performance targets, M&E specs, materials, and achieved results
• Team — Team members, organisations, roles, and communication patterns
• Monitoring — Post-occupancy monitoring results, specification traceability, and feedback loops

Key Project Achievements

• EcoHomes Excellent certification achieved on Phase 1 properties
• Air tightness: 8.1 m³/(h·m²) at 50 Pa (91 London Road)
• Roof U-value: 0.147 W/m²K (300mm Warmcel insulation)
• Window U-value: 1.5 W/m²K
• Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3-4 capability demonstrated
• 3-year monitoring program established for performance verification (extended from 2 years)

Year 1 Monitoring Results (Key Finding)

The Year 1 interim monitoring report (April 2010) revealed a significant performance gap between design predictions and actual energy consumption:

Root Cause: Sunwarm ventilation/heat recovery system underperformance or user error (occupants operating system in reverse - heating in summer, cooling in winter).

Positive Outcome: Despite the performance gap, properties still consumed 27-30% less energy than typical UK housing of equivalent type.

See Monitoring Analysis for complete analysis

Phase 3: Woodlands House (2010)

Woodlands House at 46 London Road was a retrofit of an Edwardian semi-detached property, representing an evolution in the Ecoterraces approach - moving away from passive solar techniques toward improved fabric specifications and photovoltaic systems.

Key Technical Improvements: - Walls: 0.35 W/m²K (solid brick insulated) - Roof: 0.15 W/m²K (cold roof) - Floor: 0.25 W/m²K - Windows: 1.5 W/m²K (timber mock sash) - Air permeability: 8.00 m³/(h.m²) @ 50Pa

Note: No post-occupancy monitoring was undertaken for Phase 3.

Archive Structure

Basecamp/
├── Eco-Terraces/           (402 MB - Primary Phase 1)
│   ├── Messages/           (16 categories, 395 threads)
│   └── Files/              (Project attachments)
├── Ecoterraces/            (184 MB)
│   ├── Messages/           (97 threads)
│   └── Files/
├── Ecoterraces Phase 2/    (249 MB)
│   ├── Messages/           (267 threads)
│   └── Files/
└── Woodlands House/        (Phase 3)
    ├── Messages/           (Meeting, Drawing issue, Miscellaneous)
    └── Files/              (Specs, SAP, drawings, landscape)

How to Use This Documentation

• For project review: Start with Timeline to understand critical path
• For technical reference: Technical Specifications contains all performance data
• For team/contact info: Stakeholder Map identifies key personnel and roles
• For performance verification: Monitoring Analysis shows spec-to-outcome traceability
• For deep dives: Cross-reference source files noted in each document

Reference Documents